Image released of official badge worn by DEQ water samplers in Parchment

PARCHMENT, Mich. — Residents impacted by the PFAS contamination in Parchment and Cooper Township are getting a new alert Thursday from officials.

The Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) shared an image of the badge for the official water sampling team. The DEQ will be testing water in several homes across Parchment and Cooper Township plus private wells near the public water system.

The badge features a hologram of the State of Michigan Seal that appears shiny at different angles, officials said in a release. Authorities say that if a person shows up at a resident’s house to sample water, they must present you with this ID.

A state of emergency was issued in the Parchment area after tests conducted on the city’s municipal water system showed levels of PFAS greatly exceeded the legal limit.